Dr. Sanliang Gu, a professor in the Viticulture and Enology Department at Fresno State, will discuss enhancing Cabernet Sauvignon wine color at the American Society for Enology and Viticulture’s (ASEV) annual meeting in Portland, Ore., this week, June 17-20.

Fresno State alumnus Robert Steinhauer of Wineland Consulting, LLC in Sonoma, will receive the society’s 2008 Merit Award.

California State University, Fresno also will be represented by Kenneth Fugelsang, Winemaster and enology professor; Dr. David Fang, a visiting research scientist from China; and Sean Jacobs and Eric Mallea, graduate students from Gu’s research team.

Thousands of grape and wine industry professionals from around the globe gather at the ASEV annual meeting to review and discuss the latest technology and research.

Dr. Robert Wample, Viticulture and Enology Department chair and director of Fresno State’s Viticulture and Enology Research Center (VERC), said Gu’s research holds promise on a global scale.

“Dr. Gu’s research is important for growers in the San Joaquin Valley and around the world in warm-climate regions where color development in this cultivar is a problem,” said Wample, a past-president (2005-06) of the society. Those areas represent nearly 60 percent of the wine growing regions of the world.

On Wednesday, June 18, Gu will make his oral presentation, “Efficacy of ABA [abscisic acid] Applications to Enhance Wine Color of Cabernet Sauvignon Grape in a Warmer Growing Region,” followed by a poster presentation and then discussion on Thursday, June 19.

Gu holds the Ricchiuti Chair of Viticulture Research at VERC, internationally recognized as the leading applied research, development and education facility of its type.

Steinhauer, who will receive the ASEV award for industry contributions over his career, received his bachelor’s degree in 1965 and a master’s degree in 1967 from Fresno State. In 2006, Steinhauer received the Fresno State Alumni Association’s Top Dog Award as the outstanding alumnus of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology.

Fresno State’s presence in Portland includes several other viticulture and enology alumni:

John Clark, of The Wine Group, and Chris Smith of Bogle Vineyards, are society board members and co-chairs of the enology and viticulture poster sessions.

Dan Rodrigues (Ag Quest) will present during a water relations session moderated by alum Nick Dokoozlian (E & J Gallo).

Zoran Ljepovic (Constellation Brands) chairs the supplier showcase seminar on practical wine microbiology.

Steve Kupina (Constellation Wines US) is an ASEV board member and Technical Projects Committee interim director.

Fresno State, which has had viticulture and enology programs for more than 50 years, was the first university in the 23-campus California State University system to combine education and research programs in viticulture and enology. Fresno State also is home to the first commercially bonded winery on a U.S. university campus. The student-operated winery’s vintages have won more than 200 awards since its bonding 11 years ago.

The American Society for Enology and Viticulture is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the interests of enologists, viticulturists and other professionals in wine and grape research and production throughout the world.

Related links:
Department of Viticulture and Enology: http://cast.csufresno.edu/veViticulture and Enology Research Center: http://cati.csufresno.edu/verc
American Society for Enology and Viticulture: www.asev.org Dr. Sanlian Gu bio:
http://cati.csufresno.edu/verc/pers/stories/s-gu.html